National Parks draw more than 600K

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new National Park Service report says Minnesota's national parklands drew over 600,000 visitors who spent over $34 million and supported over 500 jobs in the state in 2012.

The numbers are part of an annual National Park Service report on the economic impact of spending by national park visitors.

The national parks in Minnesota are: Voyageurs National Park, Grand Portage National Monument, Pipestone National Monument, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Minnesota also shares the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway with Wisconsin.

Voyageurs drew nearly 215,000 visitors who spent over $16 million in 2012.

The park service's regional director, Michael Reynolds, says the national parks of Minnesota attract visitors from across the country and around the world, and provide premiere historical, cultural, natural and recreational experiences.